The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds

https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/119/1/182 Author(s): Kenneth Ginsburg Summary: “Play is essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and youth. Play also offers an ideal opportunity for parents to engage fully with their children. Despite the benefits derived from play for both children and parents, time for free play has…

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The Power of Play: A Pediatric Role in Enhancing Development in Young Children

https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/142/3/e20182058 American Academy of Pediatrics Clinical Report: Guidance for the Clinician in Rendering Pediatric Care (2018) Authors: Yogman, Garner, Hutchinson, Hirsh-Pasek, Golinkoff Summary Play is: an activity that is intrinsically motivated, entails active engagement,  results in joyful discovery, is voluntary, is fun and spontaneous. [pg. 2] “Children are often seen actively engaged in and passionately…

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Learning Through Play: Using games and play coaching to improve executive function

developingchild.harvard.edu/innovation-application/innovation-in-action/learning-through-play/ Summary “The ingredients of play are precisely the ones that fuel learning: in addition to promoting a state of low anxiety, play provides opportunities for novel experiences, active engagement, and learning from peers and adults.” Teachers who implemented more games per week saw significant improvement in student executive function skills   “Early Childhood Innovation…

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The cognitive benefits of play: Effects on the learning brain

https://www.parentingscience.com/benefits-of-play.html Author(s): Gwen Dewar, Ph.D. Summary Play improves memory and stimulates the growth of the cerebral cortex Play and exploration trigger the secretion of BDNF, a substance essential for the growth of brain cells Kids pay more attention to academic tasks when they are given frequent, brief opportunities for free play (P.E. is not an…

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